A disk device providing disk storage and disk playing capabilities. The disk storage being provided along a vertical column. Upon the retrieval of a desired disk from the disk storage, the desired disk is rotated around the column so that it may move up and down the column into a playing position. Upon reaching the playing position the disk is provided to a disk playing device for playing the disk.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A disk device comprising: a disk loading mechanism including a first mandrel mechanism and a second mandrel mechanism which are separated from and linked up with each other, wherein said first mandrel mechanism and said second mandrel mechanism store a plurality of disks each of which are fixed loosely on a hole formed in an inner diameter of the disk, and a height position of the plurality of disks stored is changed in response to the rotation of said first mandrel mechanism and said second mandrel mechanism; a disk playing mechanism rotated from a predetermined height position in a housing to a predetermined height position between said first mandrel mechanism and said second mandrel mechanism which are separated from each other, and the latter height position where the center of a turntable mounted by the disk substantially matches with the shaft center of said first mandrel mechanism and said second mandrel mechanism; a disk retaining mechanism which retains a plurality of sections of the outer periphery of said disk so that in a predetermined height position between said first mandrel mechanism and said second mandrel mechanism which are separated from each other, the center of said turn table provided for said disk playing mechanism and the shaft center of said fixing means substantially can match with the center of the inner diameter of the disk.
2. The disk device according to claim 1 , wherein the disk retaining mechanism is provided with a plurality of rotatable support means which are formed with a support section which supports a section of the periphery of the disk, and a support control means for controlling the supporting of said disk of said support portion by rotating the plurality of support means.
3. The disk device according to claim 2 , wherein the support control means is set to operate the support means after a disk positioning operation is completed to a predetermined position in the device.
4. The disk device according to claim 2 , wherein the support control means is adapted to displace the support means in the direction of the rotational axis of said disk so that the disk positioned at a predetermined section is set to a play operation position when executing a playing operation of the disk.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
September 26, 2002
July 6, 2004
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